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 Always
Room for Tomatoes
By Melinda Myers
[May 02, 2025]
Nothing beats the flavor of fresh-from-the-garden
tomatoes. Keep them close at hand by growing one or more in
containers on your patio, balcony, or front steps.
Any tomato can be grown in a pot, but determinate varieties are
shorter and more compact, making them a bit easier to manage in a
container. They produce fruit in a relatively short period of time,
making them great choices for preserving as well as using fresh.
Look for a D or determinate on the plant tag, seed packet or in the
catalog description. |
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Indeterminate tomatoes, often designated with an I,
are usually much taller and continue to grow, flower, and produce
fruit until frost kills the plant or you pinch out the growing tip.
These are usually staked or grown in wire cages to save space,
reduce pest problems and make harvesting easier. Many new containers
have built-in trellises or creative gardeners craft their own,
making it easier and more attractive to grow these bigger plants in
pots.
Semi-determinate varieties are in between these two. They are
compact like determinates, often trailing but produce fruit
throughout the growing season like indeterminate varieties.
You can now find compact varieties often sold as miniature and dwarf
plants that grow well in small 4 to 8” pots. They are a great option
for those with limited space, gardening on balconies, indoors in a
sunny window or just about anywhere. Kitchen Mini tomatoes,
Heartbreakers, Red Velvet and Micro Tom Thumb are just a few.
Grow one tomato per container for maximum productivity. Use a
5-gallon or bigger container for large varieties and at least a two
to three gallon or similar size pot for smaller varieties. Some
research suggests growing tomatoes in a pot that is at least 14
inches but preferably 20 inches wide will yield greater results.
Adding flowers and herbs to the container boosts the beauty and
diversity of your container garden but will reduce the number of
tomatoes produced.
Growing tomatoes in containers also allows you to start the season
earlier. Just move the planter inside when the weather is harsh and
back outside when the weather is warm and sunny. As the weather
turns cold at the end of the growing season, cover the planter or
move it into a frost-free location as needed. Some gardeners even
move a pot or two inside to finish off the tomato season.
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Plant tomatoes in a container with drainage holes and
fill it with a quality potting mix. Reduce the time spent watering
with a self-watering pot that has a reservoir to hold water and
extend the time between watering. Further reduce the need to water
by adding an organic, sustainable soil amendment like certified
organic Wild Valley Farms’ wool pellets (wildvalleyfarms.com) to the
potting mix. Made from wool waste, this product reduces watering by
up to 25%.
Water thoroughly when the top few inches begin to
dry. Mulch the soil with evergreen needles, shredded leaves, or
other organic mulch to keep the soil consistently moist and suppress
weeds. Consistent soil moisture encourages more flowering and
fruiting, while reducing the risk of blossom end rot, cracking, and
misshapen fruit.
Harvest tomatoes when fully colored or leave them on the plant a few
more days for an even sweeter flavor. You’ll enjoy the convenience
of harvesting fresh tomatoes right outside your door for use in
salads, sauces, and other favorite recipes.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books,
including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small
Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything”
instant video and DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s
Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and
contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned
by Summit for her expertise to write this article. Myers’ website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
[Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com]
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